Authors:

Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; and.

A variety of mouse strains and sexes are used in studies of corneal wound healing and nerve regeneration. However, there is a gap of knowledge about corneal nerve density and its function in different mouse strains and sexes. In this study, we report a strain divergence of total and substance P (SP) sensory corneal nerves in uninjured mice. Read More

Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address:

Due to their morphological and physicochemical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enhance the structural properties of several materials and are produced in great volumes. The production and the manufacturing of CNTs-incorporated products can lead to the potential environmental release of CNTs. For these reasons, CNTs can represent a serious concern for human health. Read More

Authors:

In recent years, the trigeminal nerve (CN V) has become a popular target for neuromodulation therapies to treat of a variety of diseases due to its access to neuromodulatory centers. Despite promising preclinical and clinical data, the mechanism of action of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) remains in question. In this work, we describe the development and evaluation of a neural interface targeting the mouse trigeminal nerve with the goal of enabling future mechanistic research on TNS. Read More

Aims: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a novel dibenzazepine antiepileptic, that has demonstrated efficacy against trigeminal pain, both in preclinical and clinical studies. However, ESL's mechanism of antinociceptive action remains uncertain. Here, we aimed to examine the contribution of adrenergic/cholinergic/opioid receptors to the antinociceptive effects of ESL in a trigeminal pain model, as these neurotransmitter systems are known to have an important role in the modulation of trigeminal nociception. Read More

Authors:

School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong. Electronic address:

DB213 is an expanded CAG RNA inhibitor targeting polyglutamine diseases. This current study aims to investigate biopharmaceutic characteristics of DB213 as well as its brain uptake and distribution in C57 wild type mice, R6/2 Huntington's disease mice and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats via intranasal administration. The biopharmaceutic characteristics of DB213 were investigated in vitro using Calu-3/MDCK/HEK293 cell lines and brain slices for its membrane transport, equilibrium dialysis for its plasma protein/brain tissue bindings and liver/brain microsomes incubation for its enzyme kinetics profiles. Read More

Background: Ocular surface diseases are among the most frequent ocular pathologies. Ocular pain following corneal injury is frequently observed in clinic. Corneal sensory innervation is supplied by ciliary nerves derived from ophthalmic division of the trigeminal ganglion. Read More

Authors:

State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi International Joint Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.

Unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC) has been demonstrated to cause masseter hyperactivity via the periodontal trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Vme)-trigeminal motor nucleus circuit. Here, we studied activation of motor neurons of the facial nucleus (VII), hypoglossal nucleus (XII), nucleus ambiguus (Amb), and spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SNA) in rats with UAC via their similar connections with Vme. An anterograde tracer, biotinylated dextran amine (BDA), was injected into the Vme to identify the central axon terminals around the motor neurons of VII, XII, Amb, and SNA. Read More

Authors:

Department of Pathology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.

A schwannoma is a benign tumor that develops from Schwann cells. It is known to occur more frequently in women than men, and about one third of schwannoma cases occur in the head and neck area. It is also known to originate mainly in the auditory nerve. Read More

Authors:

Rationale: Effective treatments for trigeminal nerve postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) are limited. Adriamycin (doxorubicin) has been applied to the treatment of neuropathic pain. This study reports a new treatment: Adriamycin injected to Gasserian ganglion for an elderly patient with the intractable trigeminal nerve PHN. Read More

Corneal nerves are key components of the physiological system that controls ocular surface homeostasis. The cornea is primarily innervated by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerves (cranial nerve V), which distend bilaterally from the pons. The nasociliary branch (afferent) of the ophthalmic nerve is sensory for cornea, eyelid and conjunctiva. Read More

Background: Both the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and the infratemporal fossa (ITF) lie outside the midline of the skull base. Lesions in the PPF or ITF include trigeminal schwannoma (trigeminal schwannoma, TS), which originates from the second or third branch of the trigeminal nerve (maxillary nerve or mandibular nerve). Due to their typically deep anatomic location, lesions in the PPF or ITF can be difficult to treat using traditional surgical approaches. Read More

Cranial nerve disease outside the skull base is a common cause of facial and/or neck pain, which causes significant disability for patients and frustration for clinicians. Neuropathy in this region can be traumatic, idiopathic, or iatrogenic secondary to dental and surgical procedures. MR neurography is a modification of conventional MRI techniques dedicated to evaluation of peripheral nerves and is being increasingly used for imaging of peripheral neuropathies at various sites in the body. Read More

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic orofacial pain syndrome, which manifests as severe pain in the distribution of any trigeminal nerve branch. Though traditionally responsive to anticonvulsant therapy, TN can become refractory to medications and require surgical intervention.

Case Description: We present a case of V2 TN that was treated with minimally invasive trigeminal ablation. Read More

Background: Patients who have had microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery often report sensory discomfort around the surgical area. In most cases, injury of the lesser occipital nerve (LON) is responsible for this postoperative complication. This study aimed to explore an effective method to protect the LON and reduce postoperative discomfort. Read More

Objective Previous studies of neuropathic pain have suggested that the P2X4 purinoceptor (P2X4R) in spinal microglia is essential for maintaining allodynia following nerve injury. However, little is known about its role in inflammatory soup-induced trigeminal allodynia, which closely mimics chronic migraine status. Here, we determined the contributions of P2X4R and related signaling pathways in an inflammatory soup-induced trigeminal allodynia model. Read More

Objective: To examine the impact of integrated hybrid operating rooms for endoscope-assisted microsurgery using the presigmoid retrolabyrinthine (RL) approach, and to determine the value of simultaneous supervision of skull base endoscopic procedures by microscope.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed endoscope-assisted surgery using the RL approach at our institution between September 2013 and January 2017. The simultaneous supervision of endoscopic procedures by microscope was realized using the integrated hybrid system. Read More

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) represents one of the most disabling pain syndromes. Several diseases have been described as etiological triggers of TN, vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve being the most frequent cause. Here, we describe for the first time a rare case of TN caused by an infiltration of an isolated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) B-cell lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) mass into the Meckel's cave and cavernous sinus. Read More

Objective: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) at the petrous apex are rare but may cause subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or severe brainstem edema. This study aimed to summarize their clinical features and discuss the classification.

Methods: During a 15-year period, 64 consecutive patients with DAVF at the petrous apex were reviewed. Read More

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to describe the presentation and outcomes of patients undergoing Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for TS. Clinical, radiographic, and stereotactic radiosurgery dose plans were reviewed. Read More

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia caused by vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is rare and challenging to treat. Some authors have reported techniques for treating trigeminal neuralgia caused by VBD using various kinds of objects including clips, Proline slings, and titanium plates.

Methods: Here, we report the effectiveness of cutting and splitting of the tentorium in 3 patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Read More

In MS patients (PwMS), paroxysmal symptoms (PS) are frequently reported and are often the cause of suffering. PS include Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) that is the most widely recognized neurophatic pain syndrome. TN treatment primarily consists of antiepileptic medications such as Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Lamotrigine (LTG). Read More

Purpose: Despite its clinical implications, the MRI features of developmental facial paresis (DFP) were described in a few case reports. This study aims to describe MRI features of DFP in relation to the embryological development with a proposed radiological new grading system.

Methods: The clinical records and MRI of the brain and internal auditory canal of 11 children with DFP were retrospectively reviewed. Read More

Authors:

Rationale: Orbital apex syndrome is a complex clinical disorder featuring a collection of cranial nerve deficits characterized by impairment of the extraocular muscles, the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, and even the optic nerve. Sino-orbital aspergillosis is rare but aggressive infection. Surgical resection accompanied by antifungal medication is advised currently. Read More

Authors:

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Newark, New Jersey, USA.

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic orofacial pain syndrome that presents with debilitating shooting pains in the V3 nerve distribution. The condition is traditionally responsive to anticonvulsant therapy; however, cases that become refractory to medications often require surgical intervention.

Case Description: We present a case of TN that was treated with minimally invasive trigeminal ablation. Read More

Background: Schwannomas that involve the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve and localize exclusively in the parapharyngeal space (PPS) and infratemporal fossa (ITF) are extremely rare, and a surgical approach to treat such tumors has not been well established.

Case Description: We present our experience in the treatment of a giant trigeminal schwannoma with wide extension in the ITF and PPS using an endoscopic transvestibular transmandibular approach. The clinical and radiologic findings, preoperative planning, advantages of the surgical approach, and clinical outcome are discussed. Read More

Authors:

Department of Neurosurgery, the Third People's Hospital of Hainan Province, Sanya, China.

The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is the most frequently studied in the central nervous system and has been linked to neuropathic pain. In this study, a post-translational mechanism of microRNA (miR)-186 via regulating the expression of NLRP3 in the complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-treated mice was investigated. The injection of CFA was used to induce trigeminal neuropathic pain in mice. Read More

Authors:

To emphasize the utility of contrast enhanced MRI for identifying the extent of disease in herpes zoster ophthalmicus with intracranial extension to help determine proper management. We present a rare case of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZ/HZO) with intracranial extension and MRI demonstration of involvement of the trigeminal nerve, the trigeminal nucleus, and the spinal trigeminal nucleus and tract. Herpes zoster is caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus. Read More

Authors:

Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea (the Republic of).

Although pathologic vascular contact between the occipital artery and the greater occipital nerve (GON) at the crossing point in the nuchal subcutaneous layer can cause occipital neuralgia, referred hemifacial trigeminal pain from chronic occipital neuralgia owing to this cause is extremely rare.A 61-year-old female patient with left-sided occipital neuralgia for 4 years presented with a new onset of left-sided hemifacial pain. Decompression of the left GON from pathologic contacts with the occipital artery resulted in immediate relief for hemifacial pain and chronic occipital neuralgia. Read More

Authors:

Good knowledge of the anatomy of veins is of crucial importance for the functional surgery of cranial nerve (CN) disorders, especially microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), hemifacial spasm (HFS), and vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia (VGPN). Although controversial, veins may be involved in neurovascular conflicts and may constitute dangerous obstacles to access to the CNs. With the aim of estimating the implications of veins in those diseases and evaluating the linked surgical difficulties, we carried out a review of the literature from 2000 to the end of February 2018. Read More

Background: Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is a rare condition, commonly misdiagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is considered the first line of treatment in medically refractive idiopathic GPN, and the recurrence rate is reported to be 7.1%. Read More

Objective: Classical trigeminal neuralgia (cTN) is rarely caused by ectatic vertebrobasilar artery compression of the trigeminal nerve. These patients present a surgical challenge and often are not considered for microvascular decompression (MVD) due to assumed risk.

Methods: A review of patients who were surgically treated by the senior author between 1997 and 2016 with an admitting diagnosis of cTN was performed. Read More

Objective: The surgical approach for the trigeminal nerve involves veins connected to the superior petrosal and tentorial sinus, and we should pay special attention to these veins. We investigated intraoperative and postoperative bleeding using our database.

Methods: A prospectively accumulated database of 247 microvascular decompression surgeries for trigeminal neuralgia over the past 10 years was analyzed. Read More

Authors:

Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States. Electronic address:

For medically-refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN), microvascular decompression (MVD) is the first-line treatment, and has demonstrated the greatest efficacy and durability. However, due to potential surgical complications, a bias may exist against performing MVD in elderly patients. We sought to determine through a quantitative analysis whether MVD in the elderly is a safe and effective procedure for TN. Read More

Patient Concerns: A 66-year-old female patient presented with episodic vertigo for 20 days before she was admitted to our hospital. Vertigo suddenly occurred when the patient rotated her head 20 days ago, the symptoms of vertigo were improved after continuous 1 to 3 seconds, and similar symptoms were repeated in sleep and rest, with a frequency of 30 to 40 times per day. Read More

Authors:

This case report elucidates pitfalls of clinical and radiologic investigations of neuropathic pain due to trigeminal pathology, and utility of neurophysiologic examination when diagnosing facial pain. Our patient was a 63-year-old woman who developed acute, severe facial pain, first located behind the left eye. Neuralgic exacerbations, paresthesia within lower face on the left and restricted mouth opening occurred during the course of the disease with gradual progression. Read More

Authors:

Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Ehime Japan.

Background Trigeminal neuralgia is a neuropathic disorder characterized by episodes of intense pain in the face. Drug therapy is the first choice of treatment. However, in cases where drug therapy are contraindicated due to side effects, patients can get pain relief from lengthy neurosurgical procedures. Read More

Background: Classic trigeminal neuralgia (TN) involves sharp, shooting pain in any trigeminal nerve distribution, whereas atypical TN presents with constant aching, numbness, or burning that can appear with classic features, leading to a mixed presentation. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is an effective treatment for classic TN, but its utility in treating mixed TN has been less well studied.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 73 adult patients with mixed TN and 386 patients with classic TN who underwent MVD between December 2007 and October 2016. Read More

Methods: This is a prospective study of 34 eyes affected by RRD, which underwent PPV using contact (18 eyes) and noncontact (16 eyes) panoramic viewing systems; 12 eyes which underwent scleral buckling, and 17 eyes which underwent cataract surgery. SBND and CS were assessed before surgery and 3 and 6 months postoperatively by in vivo confocal microscopy and Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometry. Read More

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe unilateral facial pain involving 1 or more branches of the trigeminal nerve (CNV). Microvascular decompression is a standard curative treatment of pharmacoresistant classic TN. Alternative procedures used for secondary or idiopathic TN usually lead to a high rate of pain recurrence and sensitive deficits. Read More

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) is a debilitating disorder, and in patients for whom medical management is not sufficient, there are several therapeutic options. Microvascular decompression (MVD) for TGN has been shown to be highly effective; however, pain does recur after MVD in some patients. Therapeutic options for recurrent TGN are the same as those for primary TGN, including re-exploration of MVD (re-MVD). Read More

Orofacial myofascial pain is prevalent and most often results from entrapment of branches of the trigeminal nerves. It is challenging to inject branches of the trigeminal nerve, a large portion of which are shielded by the facial bones. Bony landmarks of the cranium serve as important guides for palpation-guided injections and can be delineated using ultrasound. Read More

Objective: Owing to increasing use of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), physicians are challenged over the problem of choosing an appropriate treatment if GKS fails. The aim of this study was to determine whether microvascular decompression (MVD) is a safe and effective alternative therapy for trigeminal neuralgia in patients with failed GKS.

Methods: Between January 1, 2010, and January 1, 2012, data of 32 patients with trigeminal neuralgia who presented with persistent or recurrent pain after GKS and elected to undergo MVD were collected. Read More

Introduction: Persistent trigeminal artery is the most frequent embryonic communication between the vertebrobasilar and carotid systems. To the best of our knowledge, posttraumatic trigeminal-cavernous fistula is rarely reported in the literature.

Case Presentation: We present a 47-year-old man with posttraumatic trigeminal-cavernous fistula, which we treated using Onyx embolization. Read More